Moistener



Dec. 28 1926. Y 1,612,772

. F. W. STORCK lMOISTENER Filed March 19, 1925 ila/f /ff--- PatentedDec. 28, 1926.

narran srarns MAILING lVIACHNES CGMEAQTY, OF EVERETT, MASSACHUSTTS,

OF IiIASSACI-IUSETTS.

A Conroe-Arron MISTENER.

Application filed March 19, .1.925. Serial No. 16,726.

My invention relates to that type of moistener which is intended to beused for moistening a strip ot gummed paper, or a coil of wound postagestamps,y or similar use.

It will be understood that such devices are commonly incorporated inmachines for serving paper tape having a gummed surface which is to be.moistened for use, and in machines tor aiixing postagestamps which aresupplied in the form ot' wound coils.

It has been the object ot myinvent-ion to eliminate a large part ot' thewick system commonly used and to afford a means for supplying water inthe desired amountto a small wick which is readily removable for thepurpose of cleaning. Heretofore it has been common practice to dividethe wick into two portions, one of which is a small and readilyremovable portion arranged to contact with the gummed surface to bemoistened, and the other of which contacts with the inner part o1 thelirst described wick and extends into the water tank. As this latterdescribed portion of the wick system is entirely hidden within the tankand is not readily removable for cleaning, it has a tendency to becomeclogged with the inely divided matter which is commonly held insuspension in most waters, and after a period of use it likely to becomeso clogged that its wick action is seriously impaired. I have undertakento eliminate this part of the wick system entirely and to al'lord meansfor supplying water to the removable wick member, which does the actualmoistening, by means oit a passage designed to operate by capillaryaction.

My device will be best understood by reference to the accompanyingdrawings in which Fig. 1 is a top view of my moistcncr.

`Fig. 2 is a top view ot' my device with the tank cover removed.

F 3 is a front view of my device. Fig. 4 is a cross-section on line 4 4ot Fig. 5 is a cross-section on line 5 5 of Fig. 1.

Referring now more speeiiically to the drawings, 1 is a water tankprovided with an opening which is closed by a removable plug 2 locatednear the top of the tank and provided with a vent passage 3. The frontwallv of the tank has a slight inset portion 4 in the center thereof oneach sideotl which are ribs 5 and 6, which ribs have a flat torwardslnfface spaced slightly away trom the front wall of the tank. On theside walls ot' the tank opposite ribs 5 and 6 respectively are like ribs5 and G. The ribs 5 5 and G 6 support respectively plates 7 and 8 whichare slid into position between these ribs and the front wall and pressedbackward into firm engagement with the ribs 5 5 and 6 6 respectively bymeans or' small bosses 9 which are pressed out of plates 7 and 8 whichbear against the adjacent tank wall. Thus there is formed a narrowpassage between plate 7 and the adjacent front wall 01"' the tank, andalso a narrow passage between plate 8 and the adjacent front wall of thetank. As plates 7 and 8 abut against solid extensions between the bottomportions of the ribs 5 5 and 6 6 and the adjacent front wall of the tank1 (as at 10 in Fig. 4) there is a passage beneath each plate 7 and 8,which passage communicates with the main body of the tank.

Cast integral upon the front wall of the tank are rectangularchannel-forming members 11 and 12. A cover 13 closes the top of the tank1 and entends outwardly over some o1 said channel members 11 and 12.This cover provided with opposite lugs 14, each of which is providedwith a threaded hole 14 which registers with a threaded hole in theadjacent side of the casing so that screws may be entered within saidholes to retain said cover in position. Viithin each of the rectangularlchannel-forming members 11 and 12 there is inserted a small wick form'-ing block of felt 15 and 16. These blocks of felt 15 and 16 buttrespectively against plates 7 and 8 and are supported on top by thecover 13.

The operation oi my device is as follows: Plug 2 is removed and water isplaced in the tank. The tank is then tilted Jforward toward the sidebearing the felt wicks so that water will lill the narrow passagesbetween the front wall of the tank and plates 7 and 8, and contact withand moisten the 'felt blocks or wicks 15 and 16. The device is thenrestored to an upright position and inserted in the machine wherein itis intended to do its work. Capillary action will maintain a column ofwater in each of the narrow passages between plates 7 and 8 of the frontwall ot the tank, which columns oft water will each remain constantly incontaet with that wick to which it extends. As

moisture is withdrawn from wicks 15 and 16 in the course ot operation ofthe device it will be replaced by water drawn from the capillarycolumns. The volume of water thus supplied is constant and unfailing.The wicks l5 and 16 may readily be removed from time to time7 when theybecome clogged with gum, and cleaned, or replaced by new wicks.

Having thus fully described my inven-y tion what claim is:

l. ln a device ot the character' specified the combination ot a tank, awick mounted in said tank'above the water level and a capillary passageextending from a point near the bottom ot said tank to said wick:

2. In va device ot the character sgeciiied the combination ot' a tank, aplate mounted in said tank adjacent to a wall thereof and in slightlyspaced relation therewith7 and a wick mounted near the top of said tankin a manner whereby a part of said wick may overlie the space betweensaid plate and said wall.

ln a device of the character specified the combination ot' a tankprovided with ribs spaced slightly distant 'from the wall thereof) aplate slidably mounted between said ribs and the adjacent wall ot saidtank and held in slightly spaced relation with said wall by bosses onsaid plate arranged to Contact with said wall ot said tank, and a wickmounted near the top ot said tank in a manner whereby a part ot saidwick may overlie the space between said plate and said wall.

in witness whereof t have hereunto at ixed my signature.

FREDERICK W. STGR-CK.

